REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 05/01/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER SPEAKE ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION STATING THE CITY’S DESIRE TO SAVE THE CORONA DEPOT BUILDING FROM FUTURE DEMOLITION LOCATED AT 150 DEPOT DRIVE
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to provide direction to staff in preparing a resolution stating the City’s desire to save the Corona Depot Building from future demolition located at 150 Depot Drive.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council provide direction to staff on preparing a resolution for consideration by the City Council stating the City’s desire to save the Corona Depot building from future demolition located at 150 Depot Drive.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Council Member Speak submitted an agenda item request to have the City Council discuss and consider the adoption of a resolution that would affirm the City’s desire to save the Corona Depot building located at 150 Depot Drive from future demolition. The Corona Depot building was built in 1937 and was historically a train station for the Santa Fe Railroad.
In 2003, city staff surveyed the property and evaluated the building for its placement on the city’s Heritage Inventory according to Section 17.63.090 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC). The survey in 2003 determined the windows and roof to be original to the building. The survey also noted that newer stucco was applied to the building replacing the original plaster finish. The building was placed on the city’s Heritage Inventory in 2004 and ranked “high with rehabilitation” as a potential listing for a local landmark on the Corona Register. The building remains on the heritage inventory but has not been nominated or approved as a local landmark on the Corona Register by the previous and current owner of the property.
In 2006, the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) determined the property to be surplus property and the city’s former Redevelopment Agency (Agency) purchased the property. The Agency leased the property to an entity that used the building for a restaurant.
In 2012, all California Redevelopment Agencies were dissolved according to state law because of the passage of Assembly Bill 26. As part of the dissolution process for the Redevelopment Agency, the Agency was required to dispose of all assets, which included Agency owned properties. The property at 150 Depot Drive was sold to the tenant leasing the property from the Agency with the purchase and sale agreement executed on August 15, 2012.
The current property owner of the Corona Depot is now selling the property. The zoning of the property is Transit Commercial (TC) of the North Main Street Specific Plan. The TC zone allows various retail and commercial uses on the property. The fact that the Corona Depot building is on the city’s Heritage Inventory does not prevent the property from being used for retail and commercial uses. The property is allowed to be used according to the land uses allowed by the North Main Street Specific Plan. Additionally, the occupancy of the Corona Depot building would need to adhere to certain regulations required by the Building Code.
ANALYSIS:
A resolution in this context is generally used to document an expression of an opinion by the City Council. Therefore, the City Council’s consideration of a resolution expressing its desire to save the Corona Depot building should not be assumed to automatically protect the building from demolition by the current or a future property owner. That is, since the Corona Depot is not a registered local landmark, the City has limited ability to officially protect the structure, but can encourage its preservation through a resolution.
Although there has been no indication that the current property owner wishes to demolish the Corona Depot, it is important to note that there is a City administrative process that must be followed before it could be demolished. Property on the heritage inventory can be evaluated for demolition according to CMC Section 17.63.120(E)(4). Before a heritage property can be demolished, it must meet one of the following criteria.
(a) The heritage property is not a good example of an historic period or architectural style;
(b) The heritage property has deteriorated or been modified to the extent that it is no longer representative of an historic resource to be preserved;
(c) Denial of the requested relocation or demolition of the heritage property will deprive the owner of all economically viable use of the site;
(d) Relocation or demolition or removal will not have a significant effect on the achievement of the purposes of this chapter;
(e) The heritage property is determined to be unsafe or dangerous by the Building Official and reasonable efforts to correct the situation are infeasible;
(f) The heritage property is inconsistent with the zoning designation for the site and adaptive re-use of the heritage property to achieve consistency is not economically viable.
It is the responsibility of the property owner to provide the City with a thorough analysis demonstrating how the building meets the criteria for demolition. According to CMC Section 17.63.120(E)(3), the final decision regarding such a request rest with the Planning and Development Director.
Additionally, CMC Section 17.63.120(E)(3), requires that the Corona Historic Preservation Society be noticed on any demolition request regarding a heritage property so that additional comments or possible research on the property be provided to the city before rendering a final decision to approve a demolition permit.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this request.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Request by Council Member Speake
2. Exhibit 2 - Location Exhibit of 150 Depot Drive
3. Exhibit 3 - Heritage Inventory Survey, January 21, 2003